


Greyscale

by xTosca



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Suicide, Multi, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:47:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29764680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xTosca/pseuds/xTosca
Summary: After killing his father in an act of self defense, Heaven has condemned him. Grey has nowhere else to go- and so, he turns to the one place that might help him: The Happy Hotel.Grey has always been an outcast- for as long as he can remember, he’s never had a single friend- he’s always been alone. But all of that is about to change- and maybe, just maybe… Hell isn’t so bad, after all.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story is an adaptation of events within a large Hazbin Hotel roleplay I was involved in. This means there are characters that will appear in this story that are not my own, and will prominently feature OCs as main characters. The original Hazbin characters will not have much prominence(save for Crymini, although she was not a voiced character in the pilot), as this is primarily an OC-centric story.
> 
> For basic reference- this is Grey: https://i.gyazo.com/a784e57104bb4339dde25db8a1556ee8.png

_Where am I?_

Grey slowly shifted, cracking open his eyes and glancing around at the dark cell walls surrounding him. He was… still here? But how?

He was supposed to be dead.

No. He was dead. He’d made sure of it. But then why was he still here, conscious, and…?

His gaze suddenly crossed over something, and he stiffened. There, on the floor-...

_'Is that…'_

He was staring at his own body. His eyes widened, and he quickly scrambled backwards.

So, he was dead after all. Then what was he now? A ghost?

Then suddenly, the world shifted around him, he was left disoriented, and confused. Now the cell had disappeared; replaced by… a courtroom…?

But this wasn’t just any courtroom. The judge, the jury, everyone standing lined up in the room Those weren’t normal people. What were they? Grey felt himself shrinking back, fear gripping him as he eyed the strange, ethereal beings, staring down at him with cold eyes.

**“Greyson Steele.”**

He quickly looked up, as the being at the head of the courtroom finally spoke, their loud voice echoing through the room.

**“As I am sure you are aware, you are deceased. You now stand in Heaven’s Court, to be judged for the life you lived. The judgement you receive today will determine whether you shall be allowed entrance through Heaven’s gates, or be cast down into Hell.”**

Grey’s eyes widened; he felt himself unable to speak or move. He was shocked. He had never really believed in Heaven, or Hell. His father had never been particularly religious, and so, neither had Grey been.

When Grey had ended his own life, he fully believed he would simply cease to exist. But no. Here he was, in Heaven’s Court, surrounded by… _Angels?_ Is that what they were?

The angel at the head of the court stared down at him. The angel glanced down at a book they held in their hands, and then they spoke once again.

**“You, Greyson Steele, have been charged with the sin of murder. At the age of sixteen, you killed your father, Leon Steele, with a knife to the neck. This sin has condemned you to Hell.”**

Grey’s blood ran cold, eyes slowly widening. _‘Hell?! No! That can’t…’_

He didn’t belong there. He had to try and convince them.

“W-wait!” he called out, his tone desperate, pleading. “Please- it wasn’t murder, it was self defense! I had to!”

**“Our records indicate no intention from Leon Steele to take your life at the time of his death. Therefore you have committed murder, and shall be judged accordingly.”**

Grey tried to cry out again, defend himself, but nothing escaped. Angels began to approach, slowly, in perfect synch with each other, moving almost like robots, as they surrounded him. He was grabbed by the arms, and hauled up- and while he tried to struggle, to plead with them for mercy- there wasn’t even a hint of empathy on their faces. They carried him out of the courtroom, until they stood at the edge of what looked to be an endless pit…

No matter what Grey did, no matter what he said- he couldn’t escape this. The angels weren’t giving in. And with that…

They tossed him in.


	2. Chapter 1

Grey slowly cracked open his eyes, shifting a bit, giving a soft groan. The fall hadn’t killed him—likely, because he was already dead—but, even in death he could still feel pain; and he sure _felt_ like he’d fallen from a decent height.

As he slowly sat up and looked around, he realized that this place didn’t look much like the Hell he’d been expecting. Where was the fire, the horrific demons torturing sinners, and all of that?

This was a city, and he was in the middle of a street. He slowly picked himself up, and dusted himself off, before pausing for a second, and realizing that something felt… different.

He slowly glanced down at himself, shocked to realize he wasn't... _human,_ anymore. His body had changed into something else entirely, covered in soft grey fur. His hands, once humanoid, were now different. Covered in fur, with little pads, and retractable claws akin to a cat’s.

He twisted around, glancing behind himself, and he realized he had a tail, as well. A long, bushy, soft furred grey tail. He realized then that he could feel his ears twitch. His ears were no longer human, but pointed and triangular like that of a fox. 

This felt strange; he wasn’t sure how to take this. It freaked him out , but despite what he would have expected given a transformation like this, it somehow didn’t feel wrong. He may now have a different, strange body, but it still felt like _his own._ It was new, and strange, and now he had extra body parts he didn’t know what to do with. 

He decided to take his attention away from his own transformation for a moment, and back to his surroundings. Glancing up, he could see that the sky was a dark red, with a massive pentagram—a star in a circle—above the city. 

The red sky, he would have expected. But everything else didn’t look much like the Hell he’d always heard about. There was no fire, or screaming, or torture. it was just… this, a city. 

He supposed he should be grateful for that fact, but this _was_ still Hell, and there must be something bad waiting for him. He wouldn’t get his hopes up. 

Either way, he couldn’t just stand here in the streets for all of eternity, and so, he tentatively decided to start exploring a bit. Grey began to walk, looking around, both terrified and curious at the same time. 

A car suddenly rushed past, and Grey jumped back, fur standing on end, ears shooting up in alarm as adrenaline took him. He stared at the car as it drove off into the distance, his eyes wide. So there were cars here, too. Just how similar was this place to the living world? 

He found himself frozen in place for a moment, completely thrown for a loop. This wasn’t at all what he’d expect from _Hell._ A city, cars, no fire and brimstone, or torture? What was this? Just some kind of alternate dimension to Earth just full of sinners? 

He found himself wondering what Heaven is like. Is Heaven the same way? Another world almost like Earth, where life is… almost normal? 

Grey breathed a sigh, gave a light shake of his head, and slowly continued on his way. If this was basically just a second life of sorts, in a strange alternate Earth, he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with himself. He supposed it might be better than what his life on Earth was like. Now that he was free, no longer in a jail cell, and didn’t have his father around to torment him... but still, it was Hell. He had a feeling he hadn’t seen the worst of things yet. 

As he walked, he glanced around at all the tall buildings and strange architecture, taking note of the fact that many of the buildings—and various random inanimate objects—seemed to have eyes on them. Not just painted eyes either, but real blinking ones. 

That was a bit unnerving. Why did inanimate objects have eyes? Where did the eyes come from? Were they _alive?_

There were many questions running through Grey’s head, none of which he could answer. This place was baffling in so many ways, and this far nothing like the Hell he’d always heard of. 

As Grey rounded a corner, his ears perked slightly as he noticed something moving nearby. He turned his gaze towards it. The movement seemed to be another person, not a human, but a strange being, with a long, inky black body, spindly limbs, long, sharp claws, and sharp, jagged teeth. The creature seemed to have three eyes that blinked asynchronously, and a long, arrow-tipped tail. 

Grey decided within seconds of eyeing the strange creature that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. It _could_ be another person, like him, who’d had their form changed after death or, it could be some kind of vicious monster. Grey didn’t want to take that chance; so he quickly darted away, ducked behind a fence, and cut through an alleyway to emerge on the other side, away from the strange being he’d just seen. 

Unfortunately, as he rounded the corner, he found himself running head first right into someone else. 

He found himself knocked to the ground, startled and stunned. Slowly glancing up at the figure, he realized he was staring up at something- or rather, _someone?_

It was some sort of canine woman by the looks of it; with white fur, dark spots, and long, tied-up hair dyed hot pink, dressed in ‘punk’ style clothing. 

She stared back at him, looking a bit annoyed at being bumped into. Right as she began to open her mouth to say something, Grey quickly hopped up, and began backing away, holding his hands up in surrender. 

“S-sorry! I didn’t see you there, uh...” Grey stuttered, nervously, utterly terrified. 

Shit, what had he gotten himself into?! He didn’t know what the people down here were like! 

If the stranger said anything, Grey didn’t hear it. He was too wrapped up in his own fear and thoughts. When he finally snapped back, rather than stand there and try to speak, he turned tail and bolted in the opposite direction, fleeing the scene. 

He wasn’t sure how long he was running, but it felt like an eternity. He came to a stop, catching his breath, and leaning against a nearby pole. After a few minutes of resting there, he slowly straightened, looking around again at his surroundings. His ears pulled back a bit, as he realized that the city was now much more populated. He could see many other people milling about, walking along sidewalks or going in and out of buildings. Everyone he saw looked vastly different from each other- and while some had similarities, many were utterly bizarre, their appearances indescribable. No one he saw appeared human, in any sense of the word. 

Were all of those people once human like him? This was all so… _strange._

Grey wasn’t sure what to do with himself now. From everything he’d seen so far, life in Hell was oddly similar to the living world. Aside from the… _oddness_ , of the people that existed here, the eyes on the buildings, and the red sky. There was a city, with cars, buildings, streets, and people. Grey still _felt_ alive. Like he would feel pain if he were to be hurt. Would he get hungry, too? Or thirsty? Did he have the same needs…? 

Could he die, _again?_ What would happen if he were to die here? Would it be the true end of things? Would he just resurrect? Reappear somewhere else? A Hell for Hell? 

Grey realized he didn’t know anything about how this place worked, and that was terrifying to him. He didn’t know what to do. If he could die a second time. If he could feel hunger, thirst, and exhaustion, feel heat and cold... 

What was he supposed to do with himself? Where could he go? Would he just have to sleep in the streets, without even a roof over his head? Would he starve? 

Suddenly, Grey was startled out of his thoughts by a piece of paper suddenly smacking him in the face, blown towards him by a small gust of wind which ruffled his fur gently as it blew past. He blinked, a bit stunned, and grabbed the paper, holding it out and eyeing it for a moment. 

It only took a second for him to realize it was a flyer. An advertisement for a Hotel… 

_The Happy Hotel..._


	3. Chapter 2

Grey slowly approached the doors of the Hotel, staring up at the massive building in front of him. He glanced down at the flyer he held in his hands, and then back up at the sign at the top of the building, one ear twitching nervously.

According to the flyer, this Hotel was a way to try and achieve redemption, to get into Heaven- and provided all life necessities, such as a roof to live under, and food to eat- free. This was his best shot at having a semi-decent life- unless he wanted to sleep in the streets of Hell for all of eternity. In a place he didn't belong.

He drew in a breath- and pushed open the doors, entering the lobby and looking around, ears pulled back, eyes darting around nervously. He didn't have any clue of what to expect here. He doubted many people were particularly _friendly…_

The lobby was full of people, hanging around, lounging on couches, talking amongst themselves. One of which, a somewhat human-looking man with very pale skin, sharp fangs, and cold eyes, almost vampiric in nature, seemed to notice his arrival, fixing him with an analyzing stare.

Grey stared back, nervously, ears pulling back, even more so as he noticed the attire the man was wearing- fully decked out in an S.S. Officer’s uniform, complete with a swastika armband.

A _Nazi..._ would this be the type of company Grey was to be stuck with, now? If so… he really was not looking forward to the rest of his life.

Grey was startled out of his thoughts, suddenly, when the man began to speak in a language he couldn’t understand. He supposed it must be German, given the man’s outfit, but Grey couldn’t understand a single word.

He blinked, confusedly, eyeing the stranger warily, not sure what to do, or how to react. The man seemed to be speaking to him, but he couldn’t tell for sure.

After a moment of receiving no response, the stranger sighed, and spoke again, in English this time, voice thick with a heavy German accent.

“Apologies. This is the Happy Hotel. I assume you are new, yes?”

Grey blinked back at him, and then gave a tiny nod, averting his gaze, unable to look the stranger in the eyes.

“Er-... y-yes, I’m new,” he nervously replied. “I… was looking to check in- I have nowhere else to go, s-so…”

The Nazi eyed him for a second, before giving a curt nod.

“Ja, a common story. Read the rules,” he replied, gesturing to the rule board by the door, “And then sign in, and grab a key. The shadow of the receptionist can check you in.”

Grey glanced towards the ruleboard, then to the reception desk, noticing a shadowy being materializing behind it, eyeing the Nazi with what seemed like a glare.

Grey watched the shadow for a moment, noting that its shape looked a bit familiar- before turning his gaze back to the rule board.

**RULES**

_1\. No fighting in the Hotel. Roof and Hotel property included. Sparring is permitted within the arena or outside the Hotel._  
 _2\. Patrons are permitted 3 cups, each 8 oz., of alcohol within the Hotel per day. Alcohol consumption outside of Hotel property does not count towards this limit._  
 _3\. No drugs within the Hotel. Smoking zones are located outside or on the roof._  
 _4\. If you see someone sinning on Hotel property, or a resident sinning outside of the Hotel, please report to Alastor._  
 _5\. Once you have read these rules and agree to them, please sign in our check-in book._

Huh… seemed simple enough. Grey didn’t do drugs or drink alcohol in the first place, and… he had no plans to get into any fights, if he could avoid it. After he finished reading, he nervously made his way over to the reception desk, as the shadow being behind it stared him down.

The shadow proceeded to write on a piece of paper, and handed it to Grey.

_**‘Just tell me your name, if you're staying/visiting, and your reason for wanting redemption, because you have to have that, as bullshit as it is.’** _

Grey took the piece of paper, and looked it over, eyes scanning the words, before nervously looking back up at the glowing eyes of the receptionist.

"I- my name is Grey," he spoke, voice shaking a little, "I'm... looking to stay, um... I want redemption, because-"

He paused for a moment, staring down at his hands.

"I- killed my father. B-but I- I didn't mean to. It- was an accident... I don't belong here."

The Nazi gave a soft chuckle, glancing at Grey out of the corner of his eye.

“Accidents?” he commented, drily, “is that what all those people on the Eastern front were?”

“That’s what they all say,” another patron commented, eyeing Grey with a look that made clear they didn’t believe him one bit.

Grey glanced back up at the shadow receptionist, and they stared back. They then made a pouting face, dragging a finger down their cheek, under their eye, mocking a cry.

They then shook their head, looking down at their folder, proceeding to write Grey’s details down, before flicking a key into his face, with a note clipped to it. One side of the note says, _‘room 434’_ , while the other side says… _‘bitch’._

Grey took the key, then looked to the note, ears pinning flat against his head.

"...Right," he quietly murmured, flicking his tail and turning away from the desk with a soft sigh.

He breathed a sigh, and turned to make his way to his room. Hopefully, it would at least be nicer to stay in than his jail cell had been…

Grey made his way up the stairs, wandering through the halls, glancing at the door numbers as he passed. After a while of searching, he found it- room 434. He approached the door, inserted the key, and entered the room, looking around.

The room was fairly nice, actually. It was clean, with nice decoration, a soft, comfortable looking bed, a closet and dresser, his own bathroom, and a decent view of the city from his window. Honestly, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t surprised. He wouldn’t have expected something this… well, _nice,_ in _Hell,_ of all places. It was already leagues above what he’d had to live with while he was alive, which just kind of felt… odd. Wasn’t Hell supposed to be eternal suffering, or something?

He wasn’t really sure what to think, but he supposed he should be grateful for the small comforts a room like this provided. While he wasn’t looking forward to spending his afterlife surrounded by Nazis and other _genuinely evil_ people… At least he was free again, and… according to the Hotel rules, no one should be allowed to hurt him, right?

He headed on over to the bed, and sat down, admiring the softness of the mattress. He’d never had a bed this soft before.

Maybe he could get used to this. Maybe, this wouldn’t be so bad…

He could hope.


	4. Chapter 3

It’d been about two days since Grey came to the Hotel, and he spent the majority of his time in his room. He didn’t quite have the confidence to go out and face the other Hotel patrons, and so he kept himself hidden. By the second day, however, it was hunger that finally drew him out of his room.

He cautiously made his way down to the lobby, glancing around nervously, ears pricked and on high alert. It was then that he realized he didn’t even know where the kitchen was… and he wasn’t sure he wanted to interact with anyone to ask.

He stiffened, suddenly, as someone walked down the stairs, passing him, and Grey recognized him as the Nazi from before. The man seemed to recognize Grey as well, side-eyeing him as he passed.

Grey’s ears pulled back, as anxiety immediately coursed through him. The Nazi stopped walking for a moment, and turned to face Grey, eyeing him with a predatory gaze and a very malicious-looking smile.

“Ah, hello again, my _Guter Mann._ I never caught your name,” he spoke, his voice sounding downright chilling to Grey’s ears.

Grey shifted nervously, taking a slow step back, nervously fidgeting his hands.  
“I, uh-... it’s… it’s Grey…,” he replied, voice wavering slightly.

The Nazi continued smiling- that creepy, unnerving smile that made Grey’s fur stand on end.

"A curious name. Hello, Grey. I am Obersturmbannführer Reinhard von Eichburg. A pleasure to meet you.”

Grey just stared back at him, just as confused as he was intimidated. That was… a very long, confusing name, and honestly, he barely even understood a word of it.

The Nazi seemed to pick up on Grey’s confusion, and sighed, expression suddenly turning deadpan for a moment.

“Just call me Reinhard,” he said, the tiniest hint of annoyance in his tone, before it quickly faded, and the smile returned to his face.

As Grey watched him in confusion, Reinhard sat down on a couch and pulled out a pen and a file, beginning to write something.

“So tell me, Grey. Why are you here at this Hotel?” he asked, then, eyeing Grey, analyzing him.

Grey shifted uncomfortably, averting his gaze.

"I, uh... I just died recently, and, uh... I had nowhere else to- to go, s-so..."

Reinhard continued writing, glancing up at Grey every now and then, observing.

“Do you have any relations in Hell? Any contacts? A job, perhaps?”

“I… no, I don’t…” Grey replied, giving a tiny shake of his head, his confusion only increasing. What did this guy want with him…?

Reinhard kept his gaze fixed on Grey for a moment, before he returned to writing.

“So you are an unknown quantity. Interesting.”

Grey wasn’t sure how to respond to that- but then, Reinhard spoke again.

“Let me ask you something, Grey. Would you like a job?”

Grey frowned softly at that, ears pulling back. He wasn’t sure he liked where this was going- what kind of job could a Nazi have for him? Certainly nothing good, he thought.

“...What’s the job?” Grey then quietly asked, against his better judgement. Reinhard’s smile turned to a sinister grin.

“Simple. You hear anything you think is important, you tell me, and I will pay you for it.”

Grey stared back at him, thinking for a moment. That didn't sound like anything too bad... Although Grey had to wonder what this man would want with whatever information Grey could get for him.

He was a Nazi, after all… who knows what he wanted information for… but… Grey is honestly afraid to say ‘no.’ The way Reinhard is staring at him- like a wolf eyeing its prey… it terrifies him, and he finds himself unable to resist.

“I-... uh-... Okay, I… I guess…” he quietly mumbled in reply, shifting uneasily, nervously rubbing his arm.

Reinhard’s grin widened, and he shut the file he’d been writing in with a snap.

“Sehr gut! We have an agreement!”

He stood up and briskly walked over to Grey, going behind him and giving him a firm pat on the back, before bending down to whisper in his ear.

_"Loyalty will be rewarded. Treachery will be rewarded with death."_

Grey stiffened, ears pinning flat against his head, fur rising on end, as Reinhard straightened back up with a smile, going to sit back down.

As Reinhard sat down, pulling out a journal, and began to sing quietly to himself in German, Grey stood there, stock-still, instantly regretting every choice he’d made that had led him to this point. What had he gotten himself into…?

After a few minutes, Reinhard seemed to pick up on Grey’s distress, and glanced back over at him, quirking a brow, a hint of a smirk on his pale face.

“Something the matter, Herr Grey?” he asked, sounding all too amused with Grey’s predicament, clearly knowing full well what the problem was.

Grey gave a quick shake of his head.

"What? N-no, no, nothing-" he quickly replied, throwing his hands up with a nervous grin, ears still pulled back, his fur slightly rising along his spine. "I'm fine."

Reinhard quirked a brow at him, that same sinister smile crossing his face once again.

“Oh? Come now, Herr Grey. I can tell something is bothering you. It's an open forum. Speak your mind.”

Grey shuddered, keeping his gaze averted, unable to look Reinhard in the eye. He was terrified.

“N-nothing, nothing, j-just… Y’know.... Pondering my own existence…” he squeaked after a moment, nervously fidgeting with his hands.

Reinhard chuckled.

“Ah yes. The eternal mystery of life... Let me ask you something, do you ever wish you had a clear purpose? A goal you feel strongly about? A passion?"

Grey didn’t like where this was going. He frowned, shifting nervously.

“Uh… n-no, not… not really…”

Reinhard eyed him for a moment, and proceeded to stand up, pulling a pamphlet out of his jacket, and made his way over to Grey, still smiling.

“Well, if you ever feel the need to have clear purpose... I know something that you could be interested in..." he spoke, eyes flashing. He held the pamphlet out to Grey, and when Grey looked at it, his blood ran cold.

It read: _‘National Socialism and You, The Guide to the Truth about the Nazi Party’._

Grey quickly backed up, holding up his hands, eyes wide, quickly shaking his head.

"U-uh... y-y'know, um, I think, uh... I'm-... I'm gonna have to- to pass, on that, um..."  
He was visibly sweating from nervousness, shaking like a leaf- and Reinhard seemed to be finding amusement in this, like the twisted individual he was.

Reinhard continued to hold the pamphlet out to Grey, his grin widening.

“I insist you take it, Herr Grey. Maybe give it a peek? For me?”

By this point, almost all eyes in the lobby were fixed on Grey and Reinhard, watching the situation unfold- some glared at Reinhard, while others just seemed curious- or bored, as if they were just watching a TV show to entertain themselves.

Grey honestly at this point just wanted to disappear and stop existing- he was visibly distressed, and found himself unable to even formulate a response, simply opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water.

After a few tense moments, Reinhard finally straightened, pocketing the pamphlet again.

“Just consider it, Herr Grey,” he spoke, then, checking his pocket watch, before turning his back, “Now… I must be off… Plans to formulate… _Schoten tag…_ ”

And with that- he walked away, and out of the Hotel, singing to himself in German. Grey watched him go, and breathed a soft sigh of relief once he was gone. Well, he’d really dodged a bullet, there.

For a moment, he just stood there, contemplating what had just happened. Then, he shook his head with a sigh, and headed off to go search for the kitchen.


End file.
